Life Through An Hourglass
by Aut Viam Inveniam Aut Faciam
Summary: "You realize what you have only when you loose something. I didn't even suspect this man meant so much to me," Angelica whispered, the rest of her body unresponsive in desolation. If only she could turn back time and tell him how she felt... If only she could turn back time.
1. Silence

_1 month from Blackbeard's death..._

The table was laid out nicely, sweetmeats, Italian wine, lobsters, passion tarts, caviar and venison tenderloin, placed on an equally luxurious silk tablecloth. At the foot of it's opulence sat a woman and at the head sat a man, confabulating with pertinent to their emotion looks. A goblet, tinted with gold, was being incessantly but sedately twirled in the man's left hand, his elbow comfortably propped on the armrest of his chair. Opposite to him, sitting straight as a young elm, was suited a woman, her eyes fixed on him with brazen and defiant certainty.

Her right hand was neatly placed on her lap while the wrist of her other hand, accomplished by her own effort, began to experience a sensation of being exposed to a naked flame.

"Your refusal to eat will not provide you with endorsement. You are mistaking if you think you could leave to borders of Spain without giving me the necessary information," he said, placing his wine onto the table, "my question to you is, why are you in that case wasting both of our time with your obstinate silence...? You may enter."

Unauthorized admittance to Ferdinand's quarters was followed by consequent punishment so the servant knocked and waited for an answer before opening the door.

"Sire, a prisoner has arrived and been placed in the dungeon. Is commission for a trial enclosed, sir?"

"Give orders to find Charles and tell him I want him brought to my quarters as soon as it is feasible. Go. And make sure his arrival is kept unknown," Ferdinand ordered and when the servant departed with a bow he maneuvered around the table until he was located behind his guest captive.

"If your dominating inquisitiveness is making you wonder then it will be up to me to tell you that Jack Sparrow is going under interrogation after you. It just makes me wonder if he will be as mute as you have been which is highly improbable seeming you are a lady and he is a pirate who cannot hope for protection from the crown."

"I assure you that your apprehension towards me is not as accurate as you may think," she said, "I am no better than he is and my eminence in piracy is no less than his."

"You are a devoted catholic and the court grated you amnesty for you were an ingenuous girl who was mislead from the path of righteousness. Are you insinuating that that decision was a mistake?" he asked.

"Ingenuous? I knew all the consequences of my copulation with a pirate and that in case of capture I will have a noose around my neck. Do not instigate my anger. I am not an innocent girl to have controversy with!" she said sharply as a frown presented itself on her forehead.

The personage she nominated, unwisely, as her compeer was escorted under enforcement into the room. He was followed by Charles, the crown's trusted agent whose recent success to destroy the fountain evinced his loyalty.

Jack found himself in a similar position as she was, manacled to a chair by one of his wrists, opposite to her as she was to him.

"I am flabbergasted by your efforts to set up an extravagant dinner for me but I am afraid your endeavors are not worth my humble self," Jack said, pulling twice at the chain in complete annoyance.

"You are no here to dine, señor Sparrow. I need information and one of you will grant me it," before he could continue the door burst open and a man, his clothing in disarray, ran into the room, breathing with short, quick breaths.

"Your majesty, pope Benedict XIV is in the castle and demands your presence. He looked very rambunctious, sir, and said it was urgent."

Ferdinand's visage held a diversity of emotions, but the most dominant was vexation. "His honor arrived at the decision that it was not necessary to forewarn of his arrival... Take them below and see to it that his honor does not find out they are here. I still need them alive," he said and left the room in a haste.

When the king's edict was fulfilled and they were taken to the dungeon, placed in separate but adjacent cells, Angelica removed a hairpin from her head and commenced to untie something from her thigh that was otherwise hidden under her dress.

"What information is he after?" he asked to no avail and since they were sat back to back, the bars secluding them from each other, he turned around to look at her, "Angelica?"

Sitting with her back to him, she was successful at dissembling what she was doing until the sharpness of her pin pierced the detached from her leg doll's arm, the action making him grunt.

"Bugger!"

He made a reach for her and she moved to sit a few inches out of his range.

"For leaving me which got me here," she responded to his wrath-covered face, holding her wrist to her chest.

That possessive gesture made Jack acknowledge that her wrist was flesh and dried up blood but with his own arm damaged, he perceived that with satisfaction rather than pity.

"Occasionally I contemplate how, having expended two years into joint living with you, I still have not went catatonic," he muttered, pushing his hat over his eyes.

Angelica leaned her temple against the wall and hearing Jack shuffle, while having her eyes closed, she surmised that he relocated himself away from the bars that separated them.

She smiled. His diligence to break her heart only made her stronger, she loved him no longer but knew that as long as he would continue to flee from her she held his heart for Captain Jack Sparrow saw menace only in his own feelings because it was the only thing he had no control over... when it came to her.

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><p>Please tell me what you thought. My main purpose for writing this is to write something that you will enjoy reading. If you didn't then please tell me so I don't continue writing just for the sake of it instead of writing to entertain my readers.<p> 


	2. Suffering Of Flesh

"...The soul and the soul alone should be immortal, not the human body. If she will not die immense detriment will occur to the catholic church. Such is not affordable, Ferdinand. You have one month to find her; one month," Benedict finished.

It was a long oration and Ferdinand had just reached the brim finality of it in his mind. He received ordinance to kill senorita Angelica while she still denied her conversancy with Henry Morgan's treasure that allowed to rule the winds and tides, preventing a pragmatic approach to the situation.

"Time is ahead of us. Do what you must, force them into divulgence... In one month the one who gained eternal life through assistance from the devil should be publicly hung by the neck until dead. By then, I desiderate control over the winds and tides," Ferdinand said and Charles bowed, making his leave.

"With your permission, sire," he said and left through the door.

With a sense of urgency he coldly walked to the dungeon, and looked at Jack and Angelica silently whilst they had a heated argument about on whose behalf they escaped the noose in Haiti three moons ago. He cleared his throat and put an end to the confabulation, two pairs of eyes now on him.

"Señor Alfaro, escort them to the torture chamber. Make haste!" Charles addressed the warden of the dungeon and Jack grimaced.

"Is that really necessary?" he asked and was hauled to his feet and shoved out of the cell.

Angelica did not desire to be manhandled by the warden whose stench of piss and rotten flesh induced her vomiting reflexes and followed them without engagement in a fight which otherwise would've happened.

They were led through a long corridor and Jack glanced at her protectively. Would they go as far as torturing her? Jack was many things but he would never lay a finger on a woman.

Charles had to take Angelica by the arms and keep her on her feet when a lifeless body with dislocated joints and a crushed ribcage was carried out from the threshold of the torture chamber.

"You do not need to feel faint, señorita. We have not started," she was told.

The executioner waited in the chamber, his face was completely covered apart from two holes for the eyes in the garment. He had a diabolical touch to him and that with the blood covered walls made her feel horror and despair but Jack who had a strong mind and nerves of steel maintained a straight face.

"Indue me with a minute and upon my word I will loosen her tongue," Jack pleaded and the warden smirked.

"Look at her... It is more a chance that we will get this señorita killed before we can even properly commence the torture. Her skin is delicate and her bones and joints are brittle. She will divulge upon _your _welfare," he said and thrust Jack into the executioner.

His shirt and vest were ripped off his body and his boots were discarded until Jack was left clad in his breeches. He got manacled to a chain and was lifted off the floor which made the metal to dig into his wrists and his joints to strain under his own full weight.

"Angelica," Jack said hopefully but she did not respond and continued to stare at him.

Charles placed a chair in front of Jack and the warden pushed her into it and kept her in place by holding onto her shoulders.

"You may begin," Charles mentioned and Jack clenched his teeth together when he received the first blow from a steel bar onto his back. She winced when he made a cry of agony and her breath began to quiver, however when Charles looked down at her he did not see any emotion on her face. A few droplets of Jack's blood landed onto her face which felt exceptionally warm against her cold skin.

Charles held his hand up and halted the bashing that by now cost Jack a lot of blood. The only body part that was not touched was his head, the rest of Jack's body was recognizable as a freshly slaughtered animal.

"You can put an end to his suffering," Charles whispered and leaned down to Angelica's ear from behind, "You are not obliged to disclose anything. We require your participation in negotiation. You need to be prepared to accept an agreement between yourself and his majesty."

Angelica hesitated but nodded. "Take him off," she said weakly and Charles gave the executioner a nod and Jack's body fell to the floor.

"Sir?" the warden said, his inquiring gaze asking if he should dispose of the body or return it to the cell.

"I believe he needs to seek a physician's helping hand. After we had to endure some manner of ill-conceived escape attempt the unfortunate bloke dropped from the window. Will you not agree, señorita?" Charles asked her.

"Yes. It was a great fall," she answered and looked at the revolting man.

Jack's fate was to be hanged until dead and it was against the church's rules to torture him without the court's agreement and the church's permission. The monarchy of Spain had to share his authority with the court and his advisers that are chosen by a public vote.

Jack's body was taken away by the warden and she was accompanied to the servant's quarters where her hair and skin was cleaned to get rid off Jack's blood and a new silk gown was produced too reimburse the stained one. She was then taken to Ferdinand.

"Your majesty, the señorita is ready to speak," Charles announced and the king looked up from the papers in his hands.

He saw a static woman at the door that was covered in cold sweat and was held tightly by his agent by her arm. Her expression was scandalized and her eyes did not hold the fierce spark anymore and Ferdinand smiled in triumph.

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><p>Please tell me what you thought. Why do you think Angelica allowed Jack to be tortured and did not speak in his defense?<p> 


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